Both the Commonwealth and defense attorney Angela Troutman came to an agreement with Judge John Atkins in Christian County Circuit Court Monday morning — withdrawing a motion for Jonathan Weston to be sentenced as a juvenile and his guilty plea accepted as intended.
This led to an 8 ½ year prison sentence and no probation, due to the seriousness of the offenses.
Charged with facilitation to first-degree assault and first-degree wanton endangerment surrounding the robbery and 2022 shooting death of Hopkinsville High School graduate and hoops standout Alijah Watts, Troutman noted her client deserved some consideration for probation.
Weston, she said, has no prior record, has already served more than 20 months in jail and juvenile detention, and maintained high marks while finishing high school.
She added Weston has strong family support, especially through his grandmother, and that he deeply regrets spending time with his brother — Joshua Cotton who was found guilty at trial last month for pulling the trigger that killed Watts.
Atkins called Weston’s progress “commendable,” but the situation remains “troublesome.”
Atkins also made sure all parties understood what Weston’s guilty plea meant, before entering into the record.
Watts’ aggrieved mother, Sherita, once again stated she and the defense opposed probation.
Weston consecutively received five years on facilitation and 3 ½ years on wanton endangerment before being remanded back into custody.
Two others have already been sentenced in this case. Christian McKeel, received 11 years on charges of facilitation to murder and second-degree robbery. Cotton has yet to be formally sentenced, but it was recommended he receive 45 years.
According to police, McKeel was charged with driving Cotton and Weston to the Fort Campbell Boulevard Casey’s on the intention of robbing Watts — who was shot in the abdomen during an exchange, and died while trying to get himself to the hospital.
